London Blog

The Friday Quiz – 3rd August

It’s Friday, which means it’s once again time to pull on your trivia tracksuit, and have a go at the Friday quiz…

Round 1 – Science in London

1. John Krebs, Marcus du Sautoy, Sue Hartley and Bruce Hood are among the more recent presenters of which annual lecture series?

2. English physician John Snow famously investigated, and discovered the cause of, an outbreak of what disease in Soho in 1854?

3. Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Max Planck and, most recently, Dan McKenzie are among the recipients of which annual prize awarded by the Royal Society?

Round 2 – Connections

What is the connection between:

1. Frederick Sanger, Marie Curie and John Bardeen (and no others)?

2. Bison, Gorilla, Lynx, Magpie, Hyena, Red Fox, and Black Rat (and many others)?

3. A sub-alpine mountain range spanning France and Switzerland, chalk, a county in south west England and a Celtic tribe (and a few others)?

Round 3 – Olympics Crossover Redux

Today’s picture round has a vaguely Olympian theme, at least. Below are pictures of birds, each of  which is the official national bird of a country competing in the Olympics. We’ll give you the name of the country in question – can you name the birds?

1. Angola

Aviceda

2. Hungary

3. Guyana

Carine06

Round 4 – Scientific firsts

1. John Flamsteed was the first man to be appointed to what position?

2. Who was the first person to use the term “survival of the fittest” in reference to evolution?

3. Who was the first person to discover and describe infrared radiation?

Round 5 – Robert Boyle’s wish list

In the 1660s, Robert Boyle drew up a wish list of what he thought were some of the most vital and pressing problems for science to solve in the years to come. Which of the items below are genuine items from Boyle’s wish list, and which have we made up?

  • A Mightily-Powered Horse that may Transport us at Great Speeds across the Countrie.
  • The Emulating of Fish without Engines by Custome and Education only.
  • Varnishes perfumable by Rubbing.
  • The Invention of Beer and Wine Devoid of Hange-over-bringing Properties
  • Potent Druggs to alter or Exalt Imagination, Waking, Memory, and other functions, and appease pain, procure innocent sleep, harmless dreams, etc.
  • The Ability to Know the Minde of an Animal, and to Converse with it as if in a Taverne.
  • Great Strength and Agility of Body exemplify’d by that of Frantick Epileptick and Hystericall persons.

Good luck, no cheating on Google, and answers will be up as always on Monday…

Comments

  1. Martin Wilkins said:

    Wow I had no idea what any of those answers were. I did however guess correctly on a few of the Robert Boyle questions but they were just lucky guesses so I don’t count them. I just wanted to thank you for this post it pushed my mind in new directions and I always enjoy that kind of learning.

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